UNDERSTANDING INSURANCE - WEIGHT AND WEIGHT CHARTS

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This page contains dozens of short articles that will help you quickly understand international insurance. For example, terminology, purchasing details and managing your insurance coverage are topics that are all covered within these articles. Choose an Article From the Topics Below

WEIGHT, WEIGHT CHARTS AND HEALTH INSURANCE

As insurance brokers, the first thing we do after asking a person for their age, is to ask for their weight. Most of us don't enjoy divulging that information, but in order to suggest an insurance plan for you, it is absolutely necessary.

Insurance companies know that a person's weight has a great bearing on their overall health. Therefore, they have all generated “Weight Charts.” The charts are similar but not identical. According to the chart of one company you might be considered uninsurable, whereas another company would consider your weight within their guidelines. So don't be discouraged if one company declines you for coverage due to weight--just contact another company.

Sometimes companies will not give weight charts to brokers, therefore, in some cases we can only guess if the company will consider you overweight. And by the way, they also have minimal weight guidelines. You can actually be declined if you are underweight.

A few companies will accept you for coverage if you are overweight, but they will rate up your premium by 15 or 20 percent. That is certainly better than being declined coverage. What happens if you lose weight? If you have a doctor's report that you have lost weight, you may be able to get the company to discontinue the rate up on your premium after you have been on the plan for a year.

Sometimes if your weight is still acceptable, but you have high blood pressure and cholesterol problems, you will still be declined. The correlation between weight and certain diseases may make an insurance company cautious about offering coverage.

The good news is that we have some three-year plans that are “guarantee issue” plans and never ask concerning your weight. If you feel you may be overweight for health insurance coverage, contact us, and we will help you sort through the weight charts and options for health insurance coverage.

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